The Dragon Fruit (also called “pitaya”) is the fruit of the cactus genus Hylocereus. I believe it is an extremely beautiful fruit. It has its origins in Mexico, South America, and Central America. According to organicfacts.net, New World settlers probably brought it to Southeast Asian nations like Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, where it remains an important part of the dietary fruit intake.
When you open the fruit, the texture is like a kiwi, and the meat is filled with small black seeds which must be chewed if they are to be digested. The leaves of dragon fruit can be steeped for a very healthy form of tea. The rough outer skin has little nutritional value and is rarely eaten.
Health benefits:
- Rich in antioxidants
- Contain vitamin C (equivalent to 10% of the daily value)
- Polyunsaturated (good) fatty acids
- B vitamins for carbohydrate metabolism
- Carotene
- Protein
There are no health risks associated with dragon fruits, and studies have even shown that pregnant women and breast-feeding women are safe to eat dragon fruits without any worry of risks.
Check out DailyBurn for some healthy and creative dragon fruit recipes!
